The Clement House, also known as the Red Cross Building, is a 17,000 sq. ft. mansion located in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from South ...

that was built in 1913. The house was designed by architect Edward Brodhead Green of Green & Wicks for the president of

Marine National Bank Marine National Bank is located in Wildwood, Cape May County, New Jersey, United States. The building was first built in 1908. In 1927 it was rebuilt and doubled in size. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 20, ...

, Stephen Merrell Clement and his wife Carolyn. The building is a contributing property to the Delaware Avenue Historic District designated in 1974. ''Note:'' This includes an
''Accompanying photographs''
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History

In 1908, Augustus Franklin Tripp died and his daughter, Carolyn Jewett (

nee Nee or NEE may refer to: Names * Née (lit. "born"), a woman's family name at birth before the adoption of another surname usually after marriage **The male equivalent "né" is used to indicate what a man was originally known as before the adopt ...

Tripp) Clement, inherited the Tripp residence at 786 Delaware which had been built by

Erastus S. Prosser Erastus Sabinus Prosser (September 2, 1809 – May 11, 1888) was an American politician from New York. Early life Prosser was born on September 2, 1809, in the area which was separated as the Town of Westerlo, Albany County, New York in 1815. His ...

around 1855 and purchased by Tripp in 1881. Carolyn and her husband, banker and industrialist Stephen Merrell Clement, tore down the Tripp residence in 1911 and commissioned Stephen's friend, Edward Brodhead Green to build them a palatial new residence. The fireplace in the drawing room of the Tripp residence was removed and installed in the master bedroom of the new house. Before that, the Clements were living at the home of Stephen's later father at 737 Delaware Avenue. Sadly, Stephen died in

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

on March 26, 1913 before the house was completed later in 1913 at a cost $300,000 to erect. Their home had 20 rooms, including a music room, a library, a reception room, and a wardrobe room. The family bedrooms were on the second floor and the third floor was the servants' quarters. The entire left side of the house was the Clement's 1,040 square foot music room which featured two Steinway

grand piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

s, a harp, and a pipe organ. In 1919, the neighboring residence at 776 Delaware Avenue, a

Richardsonian Romanesque Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after the American architect Henry Hobson Richardson (1838–1886). The revival style incorporates 11th and 12th century southern French, Spanish, and Italian Romanesque ...

mansion known as the Gratwick House, was torn down. Carolyn's father had originally sold a portion of his property to William H. Gratwick who had Henry Hobson Richardson design the house in 1886 as his last commission. The home was constructed in 1888 and completed by Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, the firm that continued Richardson's practice.Kowsky, Francis R., et al. ''Buffalo Architecture: A Guide'', Cambridge:

MIT Press The MIT Press is a university press affiliated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States). It was established in 1962. History The MIT Press traces its origins back to 1926 when MIT publish ...

, 1981.

American Red Cross

In 1941, Carolyn donated the house to the Western New York Chapter of the

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...

in June 1941. The residence underwent major restoration in 1999. In 2017, The

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is an American symphony orchestra located in Buffalo, New York led by Music Director JoAnn Faletta. Its primary performing venue is Kleinhans Music Hall, which is a National Historic Landmark. Each season it p ...

and the Red Cross announced that local developer and philanthropist John Yurtchuk (co-owner of

Calspan Calspan Corporation is a science and technology company founded in 1943 as part of the Research Laboratory of the Curtiss-Wright Airplane Division at Buffalo, New York. Calspan consists of four primary operating units: Flight Research, Transportati ...

) would purchase the property and donate the campus centerpiece, the Clement Residence, to the BPO as a gift to the orchestra. After the sale, the residence would house the administrative staff of both the Red Cross and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra "with the Red Cross occupying a portion of the first floor and the entire third floor while the BPO staff will occupy the second floor. The foyer and conference rooms on the main floor will be shared by the two organizations." In 1979, an office building and an adjoining structure connected by an atrium were built on the back portion of the four acre plot near the carriage house and another parking lot. In 2018, BestSelf Behavioral Health, a nonprofit agency, paid $3.15 million to buy the 53,500-square-foot complex on 2.85 acres behind the Clement Mansion.

References

;Notes ;Sources

External links

Carolyn Tripp Clement House / Red Cross Building
at Buffalo Architecture and History {{DEFAULTSORT:786 Delaware Avenue Historic district contributing properties in Erie County, New York Houses completed in 1914 Culture of Buffalo, New York Buildings and structures in Buffalo, New York Houses in Buffalo, New York Architecture of Buffalo, New York Green & Wicks buildings

History

American Red Cross

See also

References

External links